Jewel Heart Cookies Recipes

ROYAL ICING FOR JEWEL HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Place confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container up to 2 days (icing hardens quickly when exposed to air). Beat well with a rubber spatula before using.

JEWELED COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins, nuts, cherries and pineapple; mix well. Shape into 2-in. rolls; wrap in waxed paper or foil. Freeze at least 2 hours. , Cut into 1/4-in. slices; place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

SWEETHEART THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Beat butter with confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Beat in flour until a dough forms.
• Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls; arrange 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using the end of the handle of a flat-bottomed eating utensil or rubber spatula, press two deep indentations into the center of each ball to create a V (it will expand during baking to become a heart).
• Bake until bottoms are golden and cookies are just set, 17 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together sanding sugar and a tiny pinch of luster dust. In a small bowl, beat egg white with 1 teaspoon water. Working with a few cookies at a time, brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sanding-sugar mixture.
• Return to oven and bake until egg wash is dry and sugar has set, about 1 minute. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, bring jam to a boil. Press through a fine-mesh strainer; discard solids. Spoon into heart indentations (about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie), or transfer heated jam to squeeze bottles for more precision. Let jam set completely before serving. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.)

JEWELED THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolk and extract. Gradually beat in flour. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with your thumb., Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Fill each with 1/4 teaspoon preserves; cool completely. Freeze option: Freeze unfilled cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw in covered containers and fill with preserves.

JEWEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Stir in flour.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven 375 degrees.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and dip in egg white.
• Roll in nuts.
• (Cookie dough ball, not you!).
• With floured thimble or thumb, press center of each cookie.
• Bake 10- 12 minutes, or until delicate golden brown.
• Cool on rack.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon jelly in center.

VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until it is light and fluffy. Scrape bowl as needed. Add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla and then flour and salt. (For the chocolate variation, add the cocoa with the flour.)
• Scrape dough onto a piece of waxed paper, pat into a disk, and cover with another piece of waxed paper. (For the butterscotch variation, refrigerate for about 1/2 hour before proceeding.) Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out cookies, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom and light golden on edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
• For icings, put 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar into each of three small bowls. Stir 4 teaspoons of milk into one of the bowls. Stir cocoa and 4 teaspoons of milk into another. Stir remaining 4 teaspoons milk into last bowl, and tint with food coloring if desired. Spread a little icing over each cookie. Let harden for 20 minutes.

VALENTINE COOKIES

Steps:

• In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture to mixer bowl, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Wrap dough in plastic; chill until firm, 1 hour or overnight.
• To color white sanding sugar, if using: Place a few tablespoons in a small bowl. Mix in petal dust with a toothpick, a bit at a time, until desired shade is reached. Colored sanding sugar will last indefinitely.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees with two racks centered. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts using any 1- to 3 1/2-inch heart cookie cutters. If desired, cut centers out of some hearts. Transfer with spatula to baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Bake until just golden but not too brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack. Continue with dough; reroll scraps.
• To make sandwich hearts: Brush bottom heart lightly with jam; cover with a second heart with center cut out; jam will adhere hearts. Fill cut-out area with more jam.